Blue Mountain
Alliance

Welcome to the
Blue Mountain Alliance

Update on WKN Chopin Project

The WKN Chopin Project has been given approval
for 33 new turbines just southwest of Milton-Freewater, west of
Highway 11 and Lower Dry Creek Road. Approval for the
transmission line was not approved, and WKN has appealed the UC Planning
Commission's denial for the transmission line that is planned to go
directly east to the Blue Mountains.

As mentioned before, the proposed turbines are Vestas V112, 3 MW, with an overall height of 459.3' high from the ground to the
tip of the highest blade at 12 o'clock.

The land the industrial wind turbines will be
built on is over 1600' above sea level, add the 459' wind
turbine structure
and they will be towering over the landscape more than 2059' high.

Although the hill between us is about 1600' at
the highest point, the industrial wind turbines will be visible from
most areas of the City of Milton-Freewater.

Our County has been sidestepping this point,
using the less-than-honest information provided by WKN of a
non-existent point they call "Old Town Milton-Freewater". From
this "point" their project will not be seen. Ignored is the
entire south portion of Milton-Freewater where it will be totally
visible.

The southern part of the City also includes the urban growth area that
Milton-Freewater has invested several million dollars to prepare for
future development.

This new generation of industrial wind turbines
will dwarf the previous wind turbines already in place in our area
and be quite visible for miles and miles around, including the
panoramic views from Tollgate Highway, Hwy 204.

There is another issue that has not been
discussed in public, noise. Milton-Freewater is only a little
over 3 miles from this project and will be downwind from it.
What does that mean? It means that is the same direction the
wind usually blows and will carry that noise to the City of
Milton-Freewater and the surrounding area.

Stop the "green
energy" subsidies

2012 is an important year to stop the bleeding
of taxpayers money to the big energy corporations. We need to
focus on members of the Senate who are at home in their districts.
The Senate does not reconvene until January 23.

What we
know: The Senate's tax
extender package failed in December. Nonetheless, it included
extensions for BOTH 1603 and the Production Tax Credit and these
will return either as part of the Conference Committee debate on the
Payroll tax holiday (HR 3630) or via other legislation. Conference
committee rules prohibit negotiations from considering provisions
outside of the bills passed but Harry Reid has already signaled "everything
is on the table".

What
we need to do: Please call the
LOCAL offices of your senators TODAY. Ask for their schedules during
the recess period. Find out when/where your Senators will be
holding townhall meetings. If NO townhall meetings are planned, ask
politely for him/her to schedule a meeting at home before January
23.

Encourage your colleagues to attend Townhall
meetings and make two public statements:

1) Tell your Senator you applaud the Senate for
doing the right thing by NOT extending Section 1603 or the PTC in
December;

2) Encourage your Senator to hold firm
and inform the leadership and Senate Conference Committee members
that he/she does not support extension of Section 1603 or the PTC.

Milton-Freewater Public Library
January 17th at 5:30 pm

T.B.A.

A public review of the
HIA draft report about
the health of people living near wind turbines, produced by the
Oregon State Health Department.

Input from this meeting will be condensed
down into a form letter or e mail that can be sent by our citizens
to Salem. So bring any/all information or questions you have
regarding this document and join us!